Spinning line swivel



Aug. 20, 1940.

L. H. KENNON I 2,212,344

SPINNING LINE-SWIVEL Filed Jan. 15, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 20, 1940.

2 6 J d U 8 E H 10 E /7 2 J 22 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1938 (AIII /5' "igfi;

Patented Aug. 20, 1940 warren stares PATENT omcr.

SFINNKNG SWIVEL Ennis ii. Kennon, Houston, 'iiex. implication January15, 1938, Serial No. 185,246

This invention relates to a spinning line swivel.

An object of the invention is to provide means specially adapted to beconnected into a spinning line, or cable, to be used for screwing upsections of casing or pipe inthe process of connecting them into astring as the same is lowered into a well and whereby the cable will beprevented from becoming twisted or kinked while the same is beingmanipulated in carrying on the work.

It is another vide a swivel adapted to be connected into the cable andadapted for connection to a tong which is arranged to'be applied to thesection of casing and whereby the section being con-- nected into thestring may be given the final turning movement to screw the same uptightly in the string.

In making up a string of casing or pipe as it is. lowered into the wellthe sections are attached to the upper end of the string one at a timeand in order to screw up the sections a cable is wound around thesection being attached and one end or it is manipulated by a workman.The cable is also wound about the cat head of the draw works and theother end of the cable is manipulated by the driller. By suitablymanipulating the cat head; with the cable drawn taut. both around it andaround the casingsection, the latter may be turned or spun so asto'quickly screw it on to the string in the well. In order to tighten upthe section being attached, that is, in order to screw it tightly on tothe string beneath a tong is employed and a jerk line is attached to thetong handle and also to the cable and upon releasing the cable that iswound around the casing section and tightening up the cable on the cathead a sudden pull or jerk may be imparted, through the Jerk line, tothe tong to finally complete the work. In order to prevent the cablefrom becoming twisted or'kinked the swivel is connected into theoperating cable, and the jerk line is also connected to the swivel andthe cable may be readily manipulated, in a manner hereinafter explained,so that the casing section may be rotated, or turned alternately eitherthrough the operating cable itself or by means of the jerk line and tonsto accomplish the purpose intended.

A novel method is thus employed-in making up the casing or other wellpipe.

With the above andother objects in view the invention has particularrelation to certain novel features of construction, operation, andarrangement or parts, as well as to a novel method,

object of the invention to proan example of which is given in thisspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a horizontal sectional view of a derrick showing thefloor, the rotary drilling machine and the draw works mounted thereonwith the cable applied for spinning, or screwing up, the section ofcasing.

Figure 2 shows a similar view illustrating the cable as applied inmanipulating the tong.

Figure 3 shows'a plan view of the swivel employed.

Figure 4 shows a longitudinal, sectional view thereof, and

Figure 5 shows a fragmentary side view.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals ofreference designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeral ldesignates a swivel housing to which the cap 2 is screwed. The cap has acentral bearing 3 to receive the pin 4. The inner end of the pin has thenut 5 screwed thereon and between the nut and the outer end of the capor the draw works l2 and the free end oi! the cable may be manipulatedby an operator so as to cause the cable windings about the cat head tofrictionally engage or to release the cat head. The end of the housing Iis provided with a tongue l3 which fits into a slot I4 01 the swivelhousing 16 and a pin I6 forms a pivotal connection between said housingsI and I5. Screwed on to the outer end of the housing I5 is a cap 11,having a central bearing to receive the pin I8. Screwed on to the innerend of, the pin I8 is a nut l9 and between this nut and the outer end ofthe cap I! are the raceway rings 20 and 2| between which are theantifriction bearings 22. .On the outer end of the-pin I8 is the eye 23and a section of the cable It! has one endattached to the eye 23 and itsother end is adapted to be wound about the section 24 of the casing tobe screwed on to the string supported in the I well from the rotarytable 25. The other or free end of the cable which is wound around saidcasing section may be drawn taut so as to cause the portion of the cablecoiled around the casing -the casing section 24.

swivel, that is, the eyes 8,}! will be in strakht alignment with thecable which is operating to rotat the casing section.

On one side 01 the swivel housing ll there is an eye 26 for theattachment of one end of the jerk line 21 thereto. The other end of theJerk line is attached to the handle of the tong II. This tong is swungin the derrick ready for application to the casing section as showninFigure 1 but when the casing section is being rotated or screwed up asshown in Figure 1 the Jerk line 21 is allowed to hang slack so as toallow the swivel to line up with the cable operating around When thesection is screwed on to the string and it is desired to further tightenup the screw connection the tension of the cable around the section 24is released and thereupon when the cat head II is rotated with the cableiii drawn tautly around it the swivel will swing over into the positionshown in Figure 2 drawing the eyes I and 20 into straight alignment sothat the Jerk line 21 will come into alignment with the operativeportion of the cable l0 whereby a straight line pull may be exertedthrough said cable and jerk line. Meanwhile the tong 28 will be appliedto the casing section 24, as shown in Figure 2 and said section may betightly screwed up by a final pull" on the tong handle.

During the manipulations above described the swivels will be permittedto turn as required to prevent twisting or kinking of the cable.

The drawings and description disclose what is now considered to be apreferred form of the invention by way of illustration only. while thebroad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A spinning line swivel comprising two cylindrical swivel housings,each having a bore in one end provided with pin bearings, one housinghaving a groove in the other end, a tongue on the other end of the otherhousing which is adapted to flt into the groove, means for pivotallyconnecting said tongue in the groove, eyes having pins, said pins andbearings being positioned in the bores 01 the swivel housings, means formaintaining the pins and bearings in the bores, an eyeimmovablyconnected to one 01 said swivel housings and adapted to bealigned with the other housing by relative rotation of the tongue in thegroove.

2. A spinning line swivel comprising two separate assemblies; eachassembly being composed of a housing having an end bore, pin-bearings inthe bore, a pin retained in said bearings, means for retaining the pinand bearings in the bore; one of said assemblies having a groove, atongue on the other assembly working in the groove, means for pivotallyconnecting the tongue in thegroove; an eye on the end 0! each assemblyremote from the pivotal connection and which swivels about the axis orthe respective housing and another eye on the swivel adapted to bebrought into and out of alignment with one or said housings uponrelative rotation of the tongue on its pivot.

3. A spinning line swivel comprising two separate assemblies; eachassembly being composed of a housing having an end bore, .bearing meansin the bore, a pin retained in said bearing means,

a retainerfor retaining the bearing means and pin in the bore; one ofsaid assemblies having a groove, a tongue on the other assembly workingin the groove, a'cross-pinfor connecting the interfltting parts to allowrotation of the tongue in the groove; an eye on the end of each assemblyremote from said pivotal connection and which swivels, with the part onwhich it is mounted about the axis of the corresponding housing andanother eye immovabiy connected to one or said swivel'housings andadapted to be aligned with the other housing by relative rotation of thetongue in the groove.

LOUIS H. KENNON.

